Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2001 10:21:27 -0600
From: tarantau tarantau <tarantau@hotmail.com>
Subject: GUILTY AS CHARGED--CHAPTER SEVEN

Here's Chapter Seven finally. I hope you all enjoy this Chapter.

A shout-out to all my new friends at Nifty Chat...

If you read it, let me know what you think.

Check out my other stories, here at nifty or at my website:
tdog505.tripod.com



Enjoy the tale.




CHAPTER SEVEN

"Tornado Slide," Keith yelled, "who's with me?"

"Sorry, bro," Rob said, "I always hit the lazy river first."

"I don't think my stomach can handle it, after last night, "said Dale.

"I think I'm just gonna get a tan," Wendy replied

"I'm with Wendy," Carrie replied, "How about you Todd, why don't you go
on the Tornado Slide with Keith?"

Todd froze. What did he do, what kind of excuse could he come up with so
they wouldn't think he was a complete wimp. Just the thought of getting
to the top of that monster slide was enough to petrify him. He ran his
fingers through his blonde hair, contemplating his next move.

"Yeah, bro," Keith said, "It's the best thing about The Cliff's"

"I can't swim at all," Todd said, "I don't think it would be wise for
me to get in the water and have to have the lifeguard save me, it might
ruin my reputation."

Hell, Todd," Rob said, "I can't swim a lick. In fact I was terrified of
water for the longest time, until ol Keith here helped me to overcome my
fear, and now I don't know what I'd do in the heat without the water."

"Fuck it," Todd replied, "Let's do it bro." I hope I'm making the right
decision, he thought.

The Tornado Slide was a thirty foot slide, with twists and turns, which
went directly into the earth, and you were bathed in complete darkness,
mear moments before being plunged into a pool of water at the end. Keith
rode it at least a dozen times everytime they came to The Cliff's. When
they arrived at the slide, Todd noticed the line of People extended all
the way from the base of the ladder to the top of the Slide, there had to
be at least fifty people in line.

"Let's come back later, when the line isn't so long," he said.

Keith laughed, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were afraid to
get on the slide. Are you afraid of heights?"

"Kind of," Todd lied.

"Nothing to worry about," Keith said, "besides, I'll be right behind you
and I won't let anything bad ever happen to you." and then in a voice
only Todd could hear, he said, "because I love you with all my heart."

Todd smiled, how could he not brave his fears, when the man of his dreams
was right beside him. The line moved fairly quickly and before they both
knew it they were three people away from having their turn. Keith was
jumping up and down like a kid at Toys R Us, and the hottest new game has
just came out. Todd wished he could share in Keith inthusiasm, but he was
scared stiff. Actually going down the slide wasn't a problem, it was
what waited at the bottom. Water, death by drowning, Todd had seen it
enough times in his dreams.

"Ready bro, "Keith said, "your next."

Todd tried to move, but he couldn't he was frozen where he stood.

"Come on Kid," The man monitoring the ride said, "are you gonna go down
or not, there is a line of people waiting there turn."

"Don't be afraid, "Keith said, "nothing bad can happen to you, at least
not well I'm around."

The next two and a half minutes for Todd seemed all like a dream. He
could vaguely remember pushing off the slide, but the whole ride he
couldn't remember any of it, until he hit the water, and didn't emerge
back up. He was unconsious when he hit the water from his fear. Moments
later, Keith hit the water, pulled Todd to the edge where Rob was
standing to pull him out.

"Todd...Todd..." Keith kept saying over and over, "wake up, bro."

Todd slowly opened his eyes, and was sure he had died and gone to heaven,
cause standing over him was nothing short of an angel.

"Hey, bro," Keith said, snapping him back to reality. "I'm sorry I
didn't know that heights scared you that bad. You don't have to ride it
ever again."

"I'm not afraid of heights," Todd said, and then he proceed to tell them
the story about the water.

"Shit, dude," Rob said, "I sure wouldn't want to have your dad. My dad
is cool, and likes almost everybody. The only people he doesn't like are
fags. He says it's a crock of shit, that they don't have a choice to be
gay, and I agree with him, and think it is our solemn duty as true
blooded heterosexual males to beat the crap out of any stupid fagboy."

Both Todd and Keith shook their head in agreement, well actually
crinching inside. Keith had no idea, his best friend was such a
homophobic. He had thought about telling him, but knew know it wasn't
even an option he could consider.



* * * * * * *

"So how are things between you and Keith going," Wendy asked, Carrie as
she rubbed suntan lotion all over her back.

"Great," Carrie replied, "and it looks like things are going pretty good
between you and Rob."

"I thought for a while there I was gonna have to give up on him, and
maybe go after Todd, after all he is quite a good looking young stud. It
probably won't be long before he finds himself a real nice girl and
hooks up with her. Who do you think we should set him up with?"

He's already hooked up with someone, Carrie thought. Of course she would
never divulge this information to anyone, not even at peril of her life.
She loved Keith too much in her own way, even though she knew nothing
would ever happen between them, but she was okay with it. "Well, there's
Tracy, but Todd too nice of a guy to hang around a bitch like her."

"What about Tasha?" Wendy asked, "I bet they would make a good couple."

"Yeah, if she never opens her mouth, cause you know they would hang out
with us, and five minutes of listening to her annoying voice is about all
I can stand before I wanna slap her mouth shut."

Wendy laughed, "the only other person I can think of is Morgan, but
isn't she dating Greg Robbins, that asshole who graduated last year.?"

"Oh, sister," Carrie replied, "you haven't heard the news yet have you?
He dumped her for some bitch he met up at State. You know that most guys
like him are only after one thing, and since Morgan wasn't giving up the
booty, he moved on to some ho who gives it up if you give her a beer."

They were laughing and enjoying themselves, when a tall figure overshowed
their sun.

"Okay, who's blocking the sun," Carrie said. She turned around and
looked straight up into the face of Allan Cummings.

Allan Cummings was a six foot ten inch African American, with light brown
skin, and deep set brown eyes. He was Senior class president and a
shoo-in for class valedictorian. And contrary to the myth that all tall
black guys love basketball, Allan not only had no desire to play
basketball, he thought it was a stupid game. He also wasn't that fond of
rap music, in fact his music of choice was country, which was what had
brought him over to the two girls. He had heard a song on the radio and
couldn't figure out who sang it, and since he knew Carrie was a big
country fan he figured she would know.

"Hi, Allan, "Wendy said.

"Hey Wendy, " he replied, "Carrie, I wanted to ask you a question about a
song I heard on the radio the other day, it was by some Chic...I mean
female singer. I was wondering if you knew who sang it and what it's
called." and then in a real good voice he began to sing. "when it's
raining, you won't find me complaining, cause when I think about rain, I
think about singing..."

"When I think about Angels," Carried replied, "A new female named Jamie
O'Neal sings it. You should listen to her first single, "There is no
Arizona."

"I love that song," he said, "It's the same girl. I've gotta get that
Cd."

They were talking about music, when Wendy noticed Dale running towards
them. "Hurry come quick," he yelled, "Todd's unconsious over at the
Tornado Slide."

They quickly ran towards the Tornado Slide. They were almost there, when
Wendy heard Rob saying something, at first she wasn't sure what he had
said, but when it finally sunk in she wanted to cry. The boy she loved
was a homophoic.

"... The only people he doesn't like are fags. He says it's a crock of
shit, that they don't have a choice to be gay, and I agree with him, and
think it is our solemn duty as true blooded heterosexual males to beat
the crap out of any stupid fagboy."

She realized at that moment, that she could never let him meet her
cousin, James. James was three years older then Wendy and had come out to
the family when he was fifteen. His own father had kicked him out of the
house at first, and he had moved in with Wendy and her family. His own
father eventually came around and learned to accept that his son hadn't
changed.

What made it even worse, was when both Todd and Keith agreed with Rob.